Positive Outlook. Eat Right, Feel Great! In this Issue

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1 Positive Outlook Health and Wellness Information for Members Summer 2014 Eat Right, Feel Great! In this Issue Eat Right, Feel Great! Get to Know Your Nurse! The Facts on Kidney Disease Drug Abuse Know Your Numbers Stay on Good Terms with Your Health Coverage Control Your Cholesterol for Heart Health Think About Joining a Trial! There When You Need Us Prevention Points Special Needs Message from Your Health Plan Your food choices impact your health. When you eat right, you lower your chance of heart attack, stroke and cancer. A good diet will keep your heart healthy and can give you more energy. It will also help you manage your weight. What Makes a Good Diet? What does it mean to eat right? It can be hard to make sense of all the tips you hear in the news. The expert advice seems to change all the time. A few simple tools can help you make better choices about what you eat. Eat whole foods. Most meals you cook from scratch will be better for you than fast food or food that comes in a package. Try to have five or more servings of fruit and veggies each day. A serving is about ½ cup. Fresh fruits and veggies are a low calorie choice. They have lots of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Choose a wide range of colors to make sure you get the most out of your fresh food. Use less salt. Taste your food to see if it really needs more salt. Use spices to add flavor without adding sodium. Rinse and drain canned veggies and beans before you use them. Cut down on saturated fats. Eat less fatty meats, whole milk, butter and ice cream. You can find healthy fats in nuts, avocados and olive oil. Drink lots of water. HIV medications can affect your kidneys. Water helps reduce side effects. continued on page 2 P.O. Box Los Angeles, CA Visit us 24/7 on the web positivehealthcare.net/florida/ miami-dade-broward-county/ Mon - Fri, 8:00am to 8:00pm (888) TTY/TDD: 711

2 Positive Outlook Summer 2014 continued from page 1 Budget for Good Health Fresh food like fruits and veggies lose some of their vitamins each day they sit on your counter or in your fridge. It is always better to eat foods fresh, but it can sometimes seem like it is too costly to do so. Junk food and fast food are cheap and easy to come by. They are also full of fat, salt and other things that are harmful to your health. There are many ways you can stretch your budget for fresh and healthy foods: Plan ahead. Make a list before you go to the store and only buy the food on that list. Check your cupboards before you shop so you will not buy food items twice Buy in bulk. Fresh foods are often cheaper if you buy a lot of them. Portion and freeze what you will not use right away Go frozen. Frozen fruits and veggies will have just as many vitamins as fresh and won t have the extra salt found in canned products. Use coupons. You can make the most out of your shopping budget when you use coupons and look for special sales. Look low and high. Lower priced foods are often placed on the upper and lower shelves in the store. Higher-priced foods are found at eye-level Avoid the corner store. Fresh foods can be hard to find and packaged foods will cost more at the corner market compared with a big store. Look for your local farmer s market fresh veggies, fresh fruit and a walk. Get the most out of your meals when you plan ahead and make healthy food choices. You can have a better outlook on life when you eat right and stay active. Get to Know Your Nurse! Good health and healthcare come from teamwork. You are at the center of this team. Your strongest partner is your RN CareManager. He or she is there to help: If you feel sick Manage complex care As a health coach for healthy habits To advocate on your behalf Keep in touch with your RN Care Manager. They are here for you! Call Toll-Free Mon-Fri, 8:30 AM 5:30 PM Tel: (800) Get to know your RN Care Manager. Let them get to know you. An open and honest relationship with your Care Manager can open the door to a strong and healthy life for years to come.

3 The Facts on Kidney Disease Kidney disease, also known as renal disease or chronic kidney disease (CKD), affects 1 out of every 3 of people living with HIV/AIDS. Your kidneys act as a filter to help remove toxins from your blood. The waste leaves your body as urine. When your kidneys are damaged, the toxins can build up in your body and cause problems. Kidneys cannot repair themselves like some other organs can. Any damage to your kidneys will last a lifetime. Protect Yourself You can help protect your kidneys when you follow these guidelines: Drink lots of water to flush out toxins. Water will help balance all your body s systems Keep your HIV viral load low. The virus itself can attack your kidneys. Avoid long-term use of over-the-counter pain killers like Advil, Motrin, Aleve and Tylenol Keep your blood pressure in the target range. You can use diet, exercise or meds to keep your blood pressure in check. Keep your blood sugar under control if you have diabetes Do not inject any drugs you do not get from your doctor What if Your Kidneys are Damaged? CKD can go on for many years with few symptoms. Your doctor can do blood or urine tests to check how well your kidneys work. There are treatments that can slow the progress of CKD. A few telltale signs of kidney disease are: Swollen feet Changes in how often you have to pee Skin rash or itchy skin Anemia When CKD is not treated, it can shut your kidneys down. This is known as renal failure, or end stage renal disease (ESRD). People with renal failure will either need a kidney transplant or have their blood filtered by a machine (dialysis) on a routine basis. Keep your kidneys healthy!! Take your HIV meds in the right way every day to keep your viral load low. Take in lots of fluids as you go through your days.

4 Positive Outlook Summer 2014 Drug Abuse Drug use and abuse is common for many reasons. People use drugs to have a good time, deal with stress and relieve pain. But drug use is risky and can stop you from feeling good about life. Research shows that drug use has strong effects on the brain. It harms the brain and leads to addiction. Drug abuse does more harm to PLWHA because it can damage vital organs. Abuse will: Make your body and immune system weak Make your HIV meds not work well Signs of Drug Abuse Drug use becomes abuse when it leads to problems in your life. Drug abuse may cause you to: Be late or miss work, school, or dates Make bad choices drive a car high or have unsafe sex Have stress in your life with family and loved ones Have legal problems arrests for poor conduct or drunk driving Do you have a problem with abuse? If you say yes to any of these questions, you may have a problem with abuse. Are you able to stop using drugs when you want? Do you feel bad about your drug use? Do your loved ones think you use drugs too much? Do you hide how much or often you use drugs? Get Help It is not easy to stop drug abuse. The good news is treatment helps people stop drug abuse and feel better. Here are treatments that help: Rehab or detox programs Therapy or counseling Self-help groups (Narcotics Anonymous) The most important thing is not to quit on your own. You will need support. Support can come from: Family members Close friends A counselor or therapist Other people in treatment Health care provider How to Ask for Help Your doctor can tell you about treatment options. It s O.K. to be scared to ask them for help. But they care about you and your health needs. Here are tips for asking them for help: Be as honest as you can be about your drug use You know what will work best for you. Tell your doctor if you think they are making a plan that will not work for you. Take notes or ask the doctor to write down important things for you Ask questions until you know the treatment plan inside-out Find Help: Narcotics Anonymous: Substance Abuse Treatment Services Locator: Call HELP (4357) Learn More: National Institute on Drug Abuse: easyread. drugabuse.gov/index.php

5 Know Your Numbers You should keep track of your CD4 count and viral load lab test results. These numbers tell you and your doctor how well your body responds to HIV treatment. A blood test every few months helps keep your health on the right track. What Do the Tests Mean? CD4 Count measures how many T-Cells are in your blood. T-cells are a type of white blood cell. They help keep your immune system strong. The higher your T-Cell count is, the better your body can fight HIV. Viral Load measures how much HIV is in your blood. A lower viral load is better for your health. Take charge of your health! See your doctor to check your CD4 count and viral load o 2 tests per year if your CD4 and viral load numbers are steady o 3 or more tests if your numbers are not steady or if you have special health needs Keep track of your numbers over time Ask for copies of your labs. Your nurse can print older test results Take your HIV meds every day as prescribed If your CD4 cell count is high and your viral load is low, your medicines are doing a good job controlling the virus. Your numbers count! The goal is to have a CD4 count as high as it can be. This means your immune system is strong and can fight HIV You want a viral load so low that the test does not pick it up. Less than 20 copies are called an undetectable viral load Track your CD4 count and viral load online! These websites let you print graphs and see your results over time: The Body: POZ/ Graph My Labs: Stay on Good Terms with Your Health Coverage Your health plan works hard to make sure you have all the health coverage you need. We want you to have all the care you require with no breaks in service. We need your help to make this happen. There are a few things you can do to make sure you won t get caught without coverage: 1. Read your mail with care. Both your health plan and the government will send you key pieces of information in the mail. Be sure to fill out and mail back any forms sent to you. 2. Check your contact info. Make sure that the Social Security Administration (SSA) has all your correct contact information like address and phone number. You may lose your coverage if they cannot get a hold of you. 3. Ask for help if you need it. Medi-Cal and Medicaid enrollment happens each year. If you need help to fill out the forms, just meet with the person who enrolled you the first time around.

6 Positive Outlook Summer 2014 Control Your Cholesterol for Heart Health Your cholesterol is a waxy fat in your blood. When you eat foods with lots of fat, it can make too much cholesterol in your blood. This causes fat to build up in your heart and can lead to a heart attack or stroke. You cannot always prevent high cholesterol. It may run in your family. Also, some HIV meds can raise your levels. Do not stop taking your HIV meds unless your doctor tells you to. What You Can Do You may need to take meds to control the fat levels in your blood. Here are things everyone can do to keep their cholesterol in check. Drink little or no alcohol Do not smoke Stay active. Exercise at least 30 minutes five times a week. Keep blood pressure under control Maintain a healthy weight Eat fewer fats and less sugar Eat lots of fruit and vegetables. These have fiber that can help remove cholesterol from the body. Eat healthy fats, like nuts and avocados. Eat less beef, butter, cheese and milk. These are not healthy fats. Manage stress. Think About Joining a Trial! New drug trials and treatment studies start all the time. These help create better treatment for all people living with HIV/AIDS. There are many types of clinical trials. One may be perfect for you. Your doctor may ask you to join a trial. Think about it! For more info call: NorthPoint Healthcare Center, Ft. Lauderdale, FL: (954) Kinder Healthcare Center, Miami, FL: (786) ext. 232

7 There When You Need Us Sometimes your healthcare needs will take you outside your doctor s office. You may need special treatment or surgery that requires a hospital stay. You may need special care to heal after a fall or other injury. Stays in a hospital or skilled nursing facility (SNF) can be very stressful and leave you unsure about what to do next. We want to make sure you have all the tools you need to succeed after a hospital or SNF stay. We are there to support you and help your life return to normal as you make your way home. In order to do that, your health plan needs to know when and why you go to the ER, hospital or SNF. Check-in With Your Care Team If you plan to go to the hospital or SNF for a surgery or other treatment, make sure to let your RN Care Manager know about your stay. They can make sure that you have all the meds you need during your time there. If you need to go the ER for any reason, make sure the hospital has your health plan Member ID card so they can contact us about your visit. Once we know you are in a hospital or SNF, we will focus on getting you the right kinds of care. Sometimes you will need to move from the hospital to a SNF or some other care setting. Sometimes a nurse will need to visit you in your home for a while after you are discharged. Your Care Team will help you each step of the way. Know Your Meds Most stays in the hospital or SNF will include new medications (meds) and special treatment plans to follow at home. Be sure to ask questions about your discharge plan from the nurse when you leave. Have the nurse at the hospital explain any parts of the discharge plan in detail if anything is confusing to you. Your RN Care Manager is there to answer any questions you have. It is a good idea to schedule a visit with your regular doctor right after you return home. They can make sure that all of your new meds mix well with the meds you take each day. They will help you make a plan to for how to take your new meds in the right way, at the right time and for the right amount of time. Prevention Points Prevention is key to a healthy life. Be sure to: 99Stay in touch with your doctor, nurse care manager and social worker 99Get labs to check your viral load and CD4 count often 99Take your HIV medications as prescribed 99Talk to your doctor about an Advance Directive (Five Wishes Guide) 99Get a glaucoma test for your eyes 99 Talk to your doctor about tests to check for colon, prostate and rectal cancer 99Get an anal pap test each year 99Get a pap test of the cervix (women only) 99Ask for routine STD screening 99Work out 30 to 60 minutes, 5 days a week 99Eat 5 to 9 servings of fruits and veggies daily 99Practice safer sex 99Stop smoking 99Limit alcohol use 99Stop illegal drug use 99See friends and be social for mental health and well-being

8 Special Needs We know many of our members have special needs that make it hard to communicate with their healthcare team or Health Plan. Tell the doctor, nurse care manager or other member of your health home team if English is the not language you speak. We can call an interpreter who speaks your language. If you are deaf, hard-of-hearing or have other special needs, we can arrange a service to help us communicate with you. For your health, it is vital that you and your doctor or healthcare team understand each other. This service is free to you. A Message from Your Health Plan Your Contact Information PHC Florida cares about you and your health. We need to know if you moved or got a new phone number. Please call Member Services to update your record any time you make a change. Member Services Monday-Friday 8:00am-8:00pm (888) TTY/TTD: 711 Medication Therapy Management Program (MTMP) As part of PHC Florida, you are enrolled in the MTMP. This Program helps people who take many prescribed meds. The Program lowers the chance of mistakes and reactions with your meds. Your health care team will be in touch with you and your doctor. They will explain the drugs that you take. Your doctor will know of safety issues with your meds. Any other health issues will also be handled. Your RN Care Manager will contact you to make an action plan for your meds. An action plan with your nurse care manager will help with any problems you may have. The action plan will let you know just how and when to take your meds. Drug Safety Certain meds can be risky for older people. Find a list of high-risk meds and safe treatment options on our website. PHC Florida: positivehealthcare.net/florida/phc-broward/provider-information/ consumer-safety/ Compliance Hotline Help us look out for Medicaid fraud and abuse. For example, if your Explanation of Benefits lists charges that are wrong, call Member Services. Call our Compliance Hotline if you suspect fraud or abuse. Compliance Hotline: (800) AIDS-HIV (800) We want to hear from you! The Client Advisory Committee is a great way to tell us what you think about your Health Plan! We welcome all health plan members and AHF Healthcare Center clients. You can share your questions, concerns and comments with our Health Plan leaders. We use your concerns to make your Plan better. Come to the next meeting to find out what your Health Plan can do for you! Florida - Broward and Dade Counties Tuesday, July 19, 2014 Tuesday September 30, SW 6th St., Suite 1960 Fort Lauderdale, FL To RSVP, call: (888) Food and drinks will be served. Questions? Contact Your RN Care Manager Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5:30pm Tel: (800) Urgent After-Hours Nurse Advice Line Mon-Fri, 5:30pm-8:30am and 24 hours on Weekends. Available 365 days a year. Tel: (866) In Florida, contact Psychcare for Behavioral Health Needs 24 hours a day/7 days a week Tel: (855)